About Redistricting

Reapportionment happens every ten years after the decennial census. Based on new population figures, 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives are redistributed among the 50 states. Each state is guaranteed at least one seat by the U.S. Constitution. On December 21, 2010, the Director of Census announced that Florida is entitled to 27 representatives in the U.S. House, an increase of two, effective with the general election in 2012.

Redistricting is the redrawing of district boundaries of congressional and state legislative electoral districts to adjust for various growth rates in different parts of the state. Districts determine which voters participate in which elections for choosing representatives in the U.S. House, State Senate, and State House.

Reapportionment Timeline (PDF)

After each decennial Census, the Legislature redraws the districts from which voters elect their public officials. In general, districts are redrawn to accommodate population changes and ensure that district populations are as nearly equal in number as practicable.

The Reapportionment Timeline (PDF) shows key events in the redistricting process. There will be opportunities for citizen participation during public hearings, interim committee meetings, and the 2012 Session.

The Numbers

In 2012, the Legislature will redraw the state's congressional districts as well as districts for Florida House and Florida Senate seats. The number of congressional districts in Florida will increase from 25 to 27. The number of Florida House seats must be between 80 and 120, while the number of Florida Senate seats must be between 30 and 40. Currently, the Florida House and Florida Senate contain 120 members and 40 members, respectively. If these numbers are maintained, the average population of a Florida House district will be 156,678, while the average population of a Florida Senate district will be 470,033. Each congressional district will contain approximately 696,345 people. Population changes for the decade are detailed in maps and tables of current House, Senate, and Congressional districts.

Redistricting Law

The United States Constitution, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Florida Constitution each regulate redistricting. Under the United States Constitution, district populations must be as nearly equal as practicable. In addition, race may not be the predominant factor in drawing lines, unless the use of race is narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling interest.

The Voting Rights Act requires the creation of a district that performs for racial minorities where (1) a minority population is geographically compact and sufficiently numerous to be a majority in a single district; (2) the minority population is politically cohesive; (3) the majority votes sufficiently as a bloc to enable it usually to defeat the minority-preferred candidate; and (4) under all of the circumstances, the minority population has less opportunity than others to participate in the political process and elect representatives of its choice.

The Voting Rights Act applies additional requirements to districts that include any part of Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough, or Monroe County. In these districts, the Voting Rights Act prohibits purposeful discrimination and protects against retrogression—or backsliding—in the ability of racial minorities to elect representatives of their choice. To ensure compliance with these requirements, the redistricting plan must be submitted to and precleared by a federal court or the United States Department of Justice before it may be enforced.

The Florida Constitution requires that districts be contiguous. A district is contiguous if all of its territory is in actual contact, uninterrupted by the territory of another district. Contact at a corner or right angle is insufficient, but territory may cross bodies of water. The Constitution allows state legislative districts to overlap, either partially or entirely.

In November 2010, the voters added Amendments 5 and 6 to the Florida Constitution. These Amendments prohibit line-drawing that intentionally favors or disfavors a political party or an incumbent. The Amendments also afford protection to racial and language minorities. Districts may not be drawn (1) with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process; or (2) to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice. Finally, unless it would conflict with the standards described above, the Amendments require that district populations be as nearly equal as practicable, and that districts be compact and, where feasible, follow existing political and geographical boundaries.

Public Comments

The Legislature will draw lines following the standards in Amendments 5 and 6 and traditional redistricting principles not inconsistent with those standards.

To this end, the Legislature encourages public testimony directed to the following points:

• The full implementation of the protections afforded by the Amendments to racial and language minorities, including continuance of the Legislature's long-established policy to preserve or enhance the number of performing minority districts.
• The various measures of compactness, from geometric calculations to a broad consideration of how communities relate to one another, for example through commerce, transportation, and communication-in order to promote the creation of effective representational units.
• The feasibility of using political and geographical boundaries in the formation of districts, in light of other standards such as the equality of district populations, the protection of racial and language minorities, and compactness.
• To the extent not inconsistent with the Amendments, the desire to preserve the cores of existing districts or the proper placement of communities of interest in districts, as determined by local circumstances and voter preferences.

This approach, together with public testimony, research, and facts developed throughout the redistricting process will result in the adoption of redistricting plans that have the intent and result of full compliance with all legal mandates, including Amendments 5 and 6, and of fair, effective, and meaningful representation for all voters in the State of Florida.

Reapportionment Process (PDF)

Legal Reviews

After enactment, state senatorial and representative districts are reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court. The first of two Reapportionment Process (PDF) diagrams shows the flow of provisions in Section 16 of Article III of the State Constitution relating to State Senate and House districts.

Reapportionment Calendar (PDF)

Congressional districts are set by an act of the Legislature subject to the Governor's approval. All redistricting plans must be submitted to and precleared by a federal court or the United States Department of Justice. The second Reapportionment Process diagram depicts a direct path to new districts for elections in 2012. The Reapportionment Calendar (PDF) shows how stages of the process might fit on the calendar for elections in 2012.